Nebraska
is full of ghost town sites, ghost towns, and near ghost towns. During the
1880s, Nebraska boomed. Farms exploded across the prairie, and these in turn
caused towns to pop up, and railroads to reach across the landscape. A large
portion of these towns were established along the railroad corridors, and
spaced from six to ten miles apart. According to old sources, that is because
most farmers could drive their farm wagons to and from town in one day.
During the past 100 years many of those towns have disappeared, along with
many of the railroads. This is definitely linked to more efficient
transportation via cars and trucks.

Wicked winters, valuable
farmland, and lack of government owned property have also contributed to the
demise of many of Nebraska's ghost towns. Again as in many areas, the owners
of property seldom like to keep abandoned and dilapidated structures around,
as they have to pay taxes on them. This has contributed to the demise of many
small villages, which have since reverted to farmland. In addition to actual
town sites, consider the fact that the Oregon Trail followed along the Platte
River across the state, with its scattered military posts, stagecoach stops,
and pony express stations. Suddenly the possibility for finds has increased
considerably! Nebraska is fertile ghost town and metal detecting territory.

This list barely
scratches the surface of what is available. While on a journey through the
state in 1993, we stayed several days with my wife's brother and his family
in the Omaha area, where I did some serious backcountry exploring. In one
small county
alone, I found and visited the sites of over 30 ghost towns and sites.
Multiply that number by all 93 counties, and there are a whole lot of
possible ghost town sites in the Cornhusker State!A few are listed below...

PLEASE NOTE:

Where photos are indicated thusly (PHOTO!), please use your
browser’s “BACK” button to return to this page.More photos will be added over time.

THE GHOSTS

AMES

Dodge Co.

On US 30, seven miles
west of Fremont (which is 50 miles northwest
of Omaha), on the north side of the PlatteRiver. This historic old class D
town was founded in 1885, grew rapidly into a major cattle town. It faded
after the 1930s. In 1930 Ames boasted a population of 500, but by 1990 that
had shrunk to 35.

ANOKA

Boyd Co.

Anoka is a class D
town sitting on State Highway (SH) 11, just below the South Dakota border about
15 miles west of where the Missouri River enters South Dakota. This faded
town claimed a population of about 145 in 1910, and by 1990 this had
decreased to only 10.

ANTIOCH

Sheridan Co.

Antioch
is unusual among Nebraska
ghost towns. It was a potash-mining town. During WWI, potash was needed for
military purposes, so the small town's population swelled to over 2000. When
the war ended in 1919, the demand for potash decreased almost overnight, and
the population decreased. Twenty years later only 147 folks remained, and by
1980, only 25 people were left in this wonderful little class D
town. Antioch is located in the western part
of the state on SH 2, 15 miles east of Alliance.Ruins remain of the potash works along the
north side of the highway.

BRIDGEPORT

This class A
site was a ferry that transported folks to CedarIsland, an island in the PlatteRiver,
several miles west of its confluence with the Missouri
River. It was located three miles west of the US 73/75 bridge over the PlatteRiver.

BURTON

Keya Paha Co.

In 1884, a post office
was established, and a county seat battle developed between Burton and nearby Springview.
A year later, Springview was county seat, and Burton muddled along as
a has-been. In 1940, 104 people lived there, but by 1990 that had dropped off
to 9. Burton is located in the northeastern part of the state on SH 12, nine
miles east of US 183, at a point seven miles north of Springview,
50 air miles east of Valentine.

ELDORADO

Clay Co.

This town site is
located on SH 14, nine miles south of I-80, 25 air miles southeast of Grand Island. It is
shown on several current road maps, but the former town of 100 or so doesn't
have much left to show for itself, except for a double handful of buildings.

FOREST CITY

The barren site of ForestCity
is 1.5 miles west of Gretna,
in the west end of the county. It was located on the stage road between Omaha and Ashland
and had a post office, church, two stores, two boarding houses and a granary.
School was held wherever room could be found to hold classes. By 1875 the
town was eclipsed by the Burlington Railroad town of Gretna.

FORT ATKINSON

Washington Co.

This 1820s era fort is
located on US 75, 18 miles north of I-680, north of Omaha. This important military post was the
first American fort established west of the Mississippi
River, and housed about 1000 soldiers. Because it was too far
north of the trails that followed the PlatteRiver,
its usefulness subsided, and the fort was abandoned in 1827. It is located on
Madison Street
in town of FortCalhoun.

FORT CROOK

Located south of Bellevue, FortCrook was built between
1894 & 1896, with the first infantry troops arriving June 28, 1896. In
1918 arrival of the 61st Balloon Company elevated it to an airfield. In 1921
landing strips were graded, and by 1924, it became known as Offutt Field.
Both the airstrip and army post grew in importance, until June 11, 1946 when FortCrook
officially transferred to the 2nd Air Force, and on Jan. 13, 1948, the entire
complex was renamed Offutt Air Force Base. The fort's old brick barracks,
hospital, and other buildings are scattered around Offutt Air Force Base,
mixed with more modern structures.NOTE:Access is limited only to
members of the military and their official guests.

FortCrookCity
was located just outside the west gate of FortCrook,
and served as a "support" town for the soldiers stationed there.
This class A site has been absorbed by Bellevue,
and the old town's remains are buried under the pavement of US 73/75.

In the center of the
state, along the North Loup River, five miles southeast of Burwell, just
south of the county line. This class C/Frestored infantry post dates back to 1874, when
it was built to protect settlers from the Sioux. It was abandoned in 1881.
Today it is a StateHistoricalPark.

FORT KEARNEY

Kearney Co.

To reach this 1848 era
class C/Fmilitary post, go four miles south of Kearney to
the south side of the Platte River, then four miles east on County Route (CR)
L50A. This restored fort was important to the protection of westward
emigrants heading towards California.
According to records, some 30,000 people passed by the fort. Later, during
the 1866-67 period, the fort provided protection for railroad construction
crews. In 1871 it closed.

FORT ROBINSON

Dawes Co.

On US 20, three miles west
of Crawford in the far northwestern corner of the state. It was established
in 1874, to keep an eye on the Sioux. The fort also served as an Indian
agency. The post was active for 70 years, and today is a restored State Park.

GOTHENBURG
PONY EXPRESS STATION

Dawson Co.

The restored Pony
Express station in the city of Gothenburg
lies north of I-80 and the railroad tracks. The site is sits on the south side
of a green shaded park. This reconstructed exhibit represents a typical Pony
Express station, and is a must stop even if you are just passing through.
Gothenburg is on the north side of the PlatteRiver and I-80 at EXIT 199, 36 miles
southeast of North Platte.
The actual station was located south of town.

La PLATTE

FIRST SITE:Nothing remains of this class A1850s Missouri River town located just
north of the confluence with the PlatteRiver.
It was abandoned due to flooding.

SECOND SITE:
Established when La Platte relocated a couple miles inland and renamed
itself Larimer Mills. In the 1880s when the railroad came through,
Larimer Mills already faded, so a railroad station called La Platte was
established on the north side of the tracks, across from
"downtown" Larimer Mills. Today this site is a small, sleepy, class D
community of several hundred people and a few OLD buildings.

NEAPOLIS

Saunders Co.

Located 2.8 miles
northeast of Cedar Bluffs, this "town" was originally designated to
be the state capital of Nebraska.
The site was proposed, platted, and talked about, but not much actually
happened. During the 1850s and 1860s a few log structures were built. Later
when the Union Pacific Railroad was built, the site of Neapolis
became a major construction camp. But, when the railroad moved on, the site
was abandoned.

NIOBRARA

Knox Co.

In 1990, this small
town has a population of 376. BUT, this is its second location. The original
town was established in 1856, along the Missouri River, two miles south of
the mouth of the NiobraraRiver. In 1881, a flood
along the rivers caused a mass evacuation, and the town relocated about 1.5
miles to the southwest.

PORTAL

This class C
town was along the Union Pacific Railroad, and was predated by a one-room school
and a cemetery, both of which still remain. It was located on Giles Road,
between 108th and 114th Streets, northwest of Papillion.

SARPY CENTER

SarpyCenter
was founded in 1874, with the anticipation of the arrival of the railroad and
county seat honors. The railroad came, SarpyCenter
grew. In 1875, Papillion was awarded the county seat honors, and SarpyCenter died.Its site is at the corner of Fairview Road and
120th Street.
The old school and a store still remain; both converted to farm homes.

On the east side of Omaha, this was an 1846 encampment for the Mormons on
their long journey towards Utah.
Here they established a base camp with over 600 log structures and dugouts. The
population of this temporary settlement is claimed to have reached 3500. At 3215 State Street
is the MormonPioneerCemetery.
Here some 600 of the settlers perished and were laid to rest.

XENIA

Seven miles east of Springfield, the site of Xenia is at the corner of Buffalo Road and 192nd Street. On
one corner is the abandoned schoolhouse, while on another the old store is
now a home. Half a mile to the west is the cemetery.

These original guides are designed for anybody
interested in ghost towns. Whether you are a casual tourist looking for a new
and different place to visit, or a hard-core ghost town researcher, these
guides will be just right for you. With over 30 years of research behind
them, they will be a welcome addition to any ghost towner's
library.

Due
to the tremendous amount of viruses, worms and “spam,” out there, I no longer
open or respond to e-mails with unsolicited attachments, OR messages on the
subject lines with “Hey”, “Hi”, “Need help”, “Help
Please”, “???”, or blank subject lines, etc.If you do send E-mail asking for
information, or sharing information, PLEASE
indicate the appropriate location AND
state name, or other topic on the “subject” line.

THANK
YOU!:o)

IMPORTANT

These listings and historical vignettes of ghost
towns, near-ghost towns and other historical sites in NEBRASKA above
are for informational purposes only, and should NOT be construed to grant permission to
trespass, metal detect, relic or treasure hunt at any of the listed sites.

If the reader of this guide is a metal detector
user and plans to use this guide to locate sites for metal detecting or relic
hunting, it is the READER'S
responsibility to obtain written permission from the legal property owners.
Please be advised, that any state or nationally owned sites will probably be
off-limits to metal detector use. Also be aware of any federal, state or
local laws restricting the same.

When you are exploring the ghost towns of NEBRASKA,
please abide by the